Jupiter’s Legacy #5

It’s been a loooooong time since the previous issue. Is it worth the wait? Well, I’ll finish this after I read it, and we’ll see.

Okay, read it.

As per last issue, Hutch and Chloe are hiding out in Australia with their 9-year old son Jason, all living under assumed names. Jason has inherited great superpowers but his parents have trained him to withhold them and pretend to be a normal human. Unbeknownst to them, Jason has been secretly using his powers to avert various disasters. Brandon and Walter, who have turned America (and most of the rest of the world) into a police-state where all superhumans are either licensed to work for them or locked up in a super-prison (gee, I wonder where Millar got THAT idea from?) have sent a special investigator, Major Barnabus Wolfe, to Australia to track down any superhumans in hiding. The story opens with him interviewing a woman in an office, questioning her background. There’s a bit of a fake out, as you expect her to be one person, but isn’t. And then we discover Wolfe’s abilities (he’s a former superhero himself). Then we see what Jason’s been up to. The young lad really wants to be a superhero and save the world, like his grandparents before him. Chloe discovers his plan and demands he put a stop to it. But it’s not that easy.

I’m really trying to keep spoilers to a minimum because this is one exciting book. But by the time it’s over, there’s a massive super-fight in the middle of the streets and Jason, Chloe and Hutch are all exposed to the world with no way to hide now, and no other choice but to form a plan to take the world back. Like much of his recent work, including Starlight and MPH, Millar has really kicked his writing up a notch here. This story has action, drama, suspense, and quite a bit of heart. And it’s all without any excessive violence, swear words, or sexuality (I wish he could’ve written Superior in this same tone)! And Frank Quitely on the art? Holy Moley this is some good stuff! His attention to small details is extraordinary, and he gets to draw a variety of scenery here, from downtown Australia, to the coast of San Francisco to the surface of the moon. And whether he’s drawing Jason fighting an squad of high-tech soldiers, or mother and son have a quiet talk (on the moon!), it looks beautiful.

So, to answer my own question about it being worth the wait? Yes. Yes, it is.